The Penderyn Music Book longlist: let’s hear it for the women

 

The winner of this year’s Penderyn Music Book Prize has just been announced. It’s a man. 

I’m a bit disappointed in this because this year nearly half the books on the longlist were by women (and nearly half of those on the shortlist, too). But Bob Stanley is a very well respected music writer and I’m sure he deserved it.

Nonetheless, I’d like to give a shout-out to all the women on the longlist.  

The books are:

• Soul Survivor – PP Arnold 
• The Sound of Being Human – Jude Rogers
• Access All Areas – Barbara Charone 
• What’s She Like – Helen O’Hara 
• Ten Thousand Apologies – Adelle Stripe and Lias Saoudi 
• Sound Within Sound – Kate Molleson

Anyway, I’ve given myself the challenge of reading and reviewing all of these. I did one when it came out, I’ve just finished another and I’ve got two more ordered from the library; the others may have to wait until they are out in paperback. (I’ll add links to the reviews as I go along.)

I’m looking forward to it, because the writers all have very different backgrounds and the books are all about very different subjects. 

Watch this space.